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TED MAZIEJKA , from page 9

of them at all times. If we prove we have the client’s back, then we will achieve success, become that trusted advisor, and likely see more workflow from that client. The communication of these concepts, as well as the discussion and review, are a bidirectional process. The principal, PM, and team are all aware and communication flows both up from the team and back and forth from the PIC and the PM. A recent ZG client recounted a story of how one of their clients hired them to provide planning, structural analysis, MEP support, and construction management oversight. A long relationship of trust had been established with the firm’s principal. One day the client called the principal and asked him about a potential real estate investment and asked him to suggest a starting point for the negotiation. Although real estate expertise was not a core strength or specialty of the firm, the client trusted this principal! After some research, the principal called the client and suggested a starting price that was significantly below what was being asked, and gave their client valid reasons for the offer based on the preliminary build review. The client presented the lower offer and it was accepted! We all can recount stories of how the trusted advisor role spans many areas that may not be in the firm’s wheelhouse, and how that trust can turn into workflow. Successful and ongoing communication between firm and client provides frequent opportunities to receive feedback. Feedback and the action on that feedback are key reasons why clients perceive that the firm and its team are more valuable at the end of the project than they were at the beginning. And goal-oriented teaming gives younger staff the chance to learn leadership, see the results of clear and effective communication, and carry these skills forward to grow the firm. Who can GRIPE about that? TED MAZIEJKA is a Zweig Group financial and management consultant. Contact him at tmaziejka@zweiggroup.com. project – about the possible changes they might want or need, and make sure they understand all the options available to them and the related cost. This will eliminate some of the “surprises” that can cause tension and disagreements about what extra services are really needed. By establishing estimating templates that account for all the possible changes and include a line for contingencies you can ensure that your staff are following best practices and are aware of all possible options while creating the estimate. Neither you nor your clients want your project to go over budget. By learning from past project experience, and building safeguards into your estimating processes, you can protect both your firm and your clients’ budgets from exploding. Your clients will appreciate your professional approach and be much happier in the end as well! What else have you done to ensure your estimates are accurate? JUNE JEWELL is president of AEC Business Solutions. Connect with her on LinkedIn and learn more about how to improve your firm’s financial performance at aecbusiness.com.

business and firm are respected by all and a chain of com- mand is maintained. ❚ ❚ Interpersonal relationships. We all understand what makes each of us tick, where our strengths and weaknesses are, and what we need as far as time and space in which to work. I know if I enter a coworker’s space before 8 a.m. and they have not had their first cup of coffee, I will experience a Snick- ers commercial. ❚ ❚ Policy and procedures. We start with the standards applied on all projects from a technical perspective. How are we inte- grating a quality control process into the work we do and how do we make sure quality control is scheduled with sufficient time? Are we providing the necessary information into the project management/financial management system that will allow the creation of an accurate backlog of work and pipeline of opportunities monetized for monthly review at a button push from the system? ❚ ❚ Oh, and let’s not forget that we all understand why it’s critical to enter time daily and to provide expense reports in a timely manner. And let’s remember why the project manager must give the financial team accurate information when opening a project so that all team members can adhere to the contrac- tual terms of our agreements. ❚ ❚ Expectations/communications. Probably the singular most important concept within the GRIPE system. Have cli- ent expectations been clearly discussed and communicated? Have we asked and written down the answers to the following questions? 1) What defines project success for the client? 2) What will keep the client up at night worrying about the success of the project? 3) What are the biggest risks that could derail a successful outcome? All of these answers are written down and distributed to all team members so that everyone has them in front

JUNE JEWELL , from page 11

The more you can understand the level of quality, communi- cation style, and preferences of your prospective client, the more you can build an estimate that meets their requirements and justifies your scope. 2)Anticipate everything that can go wrong. As mentioned above, one of the best ways to determine what can go wrong on projects is to review past projects and create a list of things that have gone wrong and situations that you want to avoid. Once the list is assembled, create a team of staff at different levels and analyze why money was lost because of each issue. Then brainstorm remedies to ensure that the leakage does not happen again. 3)Build in room for changes. Another important lesson that can be learned from past project overruns is that they will almost always occur! You can plan for changes and other is- sues that will cause projects to go over budget by ensuring that every project has a separate line item for contingencies. This could be an extra 10 to 20 percent that is only used when needed, but helps everyone, including your clients, plan for changes that will drive the budget up. You can also educate your clients – in advance of winning a

THE ZWEIG LETTER April 3, 2017, ISSUE 1194

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